Pinch roller compressive mechanism

Abstract

A pinch roller compressive mechanism of a tape player includes a head plate movable on a chassis and having a pivotably mounted sub-plate which includes engage portions. One end of each biasing spring for biasing a pinch roller to a capstan shaft engages the engage portion of the sub-plate, so that its counterforce is accepted by the engage portion and never applied to the head plate.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows. 
     
       1. A pinch roller compressive mechanism for a tape player, comprising: a head plate supported on a chassis of the tape player for movement between a first position corresponding to a stop mode of the tape player and a second position corresponding to a play mode of the tape player;   a sub-plate pivotally supported on said head plate and engagable by a change plate which can pivot said sub-plate with respect to said head plate from a first position to a second position which corresponds to a selected tape travelling direction, said sub-plate having an engage portion which moves toward a capstan shaft of the tape player as said sub-plate is pivoted from its first to its second position;   a support part supported on said chassis for pivotal movement about a pivot axis and supporting a pinch roller for rotation about a further axis which is spaced from said pivot axis, said support part being movable between two positions in which said pinch roller is respectively engaging and spaced from said capstan shaft; and   pinch roller biasing means cooperable with said support part and said engage portion of said sub-plate for biasing said support part and pinch roller toward said capstan shaft when said sub-plate is in its second position and said head plate is in its second position;   wherein said head plate has thereon an engaging portion which, as said head plate moves to its first position, engages an engage portion on said support part and pivots said support part in a direction causing said pinch roller to move away from said capstan shaft, and which holds said support part in a position in which said pinch roller is spaced from said capstan shaft so long as said head plate remains in its first position.   
     
     
       2. The pinch roller compressive mechanism of claim 1, wherein said tape player is an auto-reverse type and includes a further capstan shaft, a further engage portion on said sub-plate which moves toward and away from said further capstan shaft as said sub-plate respectively moves to and from its first position, a further support part supported on said chassis for pivotal movement about a pivot axis and supporting a further pinch roller for rotation, said further support part being movable between two positions in which said further pinch roller is respectively engaging and spaced from said further capstan shaft, and further pinch roller biasing means cooperable with said further support part and said further engage portion of said sub-plate for biasing said further support part and said pinch roller toward said further capstan shaft when said sub-plate is in its first position and said head plate is in its second position; wherein said first position of said sub-plate corresponds to a further tape travelling direction opposite from said first-mentioned tape travelling direction; wherein when said head plate is in its second position and said sub-plate is in its second position said further support part is free of any biasing force from said further biasing means; and wherein when said head plate is in its second position and said sub-plate is in its first position said first-mentioned support part is free of any biasing force from said first-mentioned biasing means. 
     
     
       3. The pinch roller compressive mechanism of claim 1, wherein said biasing means includes a torsion spring which is supported on said support part and which has an end engageable with said engage portion of said sub-plate. 
     
     
       4. A pinch roller compressive mechanism for a tape player, comprising: a head plate support on a chassis of the tape player for movement between a first position corresponding to a stop mode of the tape player and second position corresponding to a play mode of the tape player;   a sub-plate pivotally supported on said head plate and engageable by a change plate which can pivot said sub-plate with respect to said head plate from a first position to a second position which corresponds to a tape travelling direction, said sub-plate having an engage portion which moves toward a capstan shaft of the tape player as said sub-plate is pivoted from its first to its second position;   a suppport part supported on said chassis for pivotal movement about a pivot axis and supporting a pinch roller for rotation about a further axis which is spaced from said pivot axis, said support part being movable between two positions in which said pinch roller is respectively engaging and spaced from said capstan shaft; and   pinch roller biasing means cooperable with said support part and said engage portion of said sub-plate for biasing said support part and pinch roller toward said capstan shaft when said sub-plate is in its second position and said head plate is in its second position;   wherein a cam is provided on said chassis and can engage a projection provided on said sub-plate, said cam permitting said projection to move so that said sub-plate can pivot between its first and second positions when said head-plate is in its second position, and said cam forcibly moving said projection to a predetermined position when said head plate is in its first position so as to forcibly maintain said sub-plate in a position space from its second position.   
     
     
       5. The pinch roller compressive mechanism of claim 4, wherein said chassis has a wedge-shaped opening therein, and wherein said cam is defined opposite edges of said wedge-shaped opening which diverge with respect to each other in a direction in which said head plate moves from its first position to its second position.